Come What May
by wsm021
Summary: For years they had fought their battles together, now they were being torn a part and left to fight alone. Will they ever find a way back to one another or will this family be torn apart forever?
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own Glee =(

**Graduation**

Rachel Berry stood in line with her fellow classmates and looked out to the crowd to see her fathers smiling proudly and filming her like they did done at all of her recitals and performances. She was sure that this would be one of the best performances of her life. After the diplomas were handed out and the valedictorian had given a beautiful speech, Rachel stood next to her friends much like she had for the last three years and sang like she never had before. If this was going to be the last time they would sing together, the original members of new directions would give it their all.

Things had changed a lot in the last three years and New Directions had become more of a family then a club. After Quinn had lost the baby, everyone had banded together to support her and Puck as they grieved the lost of the child they had never met. That had been the last time Finn had spoken to either of them, though he had forgiven them both it was hard to feel like he too had lost a daughter and have no one to turn to. Puck had understood, for three months Finn had thought that the baby was his so it was normal for him to feel the way he did but Puck was so caught up in his own grief, he just couldn't deal with anyone else's. So he let his former best friend become distant and accepted the fact that the bridges had been burned. Quinn took it harder than he did and he had been there for her when she finally accepted the loss of her first love.

If someone had told Quinn at the beginning of sophomore year that she and Rachel Berry would be friends by the end of it she would have had Puck slushy them every day that year. If someone had told Quinn that by the end of junior year she would be spending more time at Rachel's house than her own she would have slushied them herself. If someone had told her that she would be moving into an Apartment with Rachel to attend Julliard she would have just killed them and been done with it. Yet here she was, a long way from hating the girl who was trying to steal her boyfriend. She turned to looked around her and smiled. There were quite a few new members of glee club and though she cared from them all she knew which ones were family and which ones were friends.

Kurt had volunteered his house for the graduation after-party and everyone had show up early to help set up and really just hang out. As the rest of the guests started to arrive, the party really got started no one had been surprised when people branch off to spend time with those closest to them. They came together towards the end of the night and celebrated for the last time as the graduating class of 2012.

They had slept over at Kurt's and made plans for the summer. They wanted to spend as much time together as they possibly could. None of them were worried about losing touch, they knew that it would never happen; they're bond too strong. But they knew that things would be different now, they had never been a part for any extended period of time in the last three years. It would be hard not seeing each other every day.

Mercedes had never been scared of anything her entire life; not spiders, or heights or clowns, nothing. But she was scared of this, she was scared to lose those closest to her. It had been a rough road, for all of them, but they had made it; mostly because of the friendship they had shared. Once they had truly accepted each other, faults and all, things had only gotten better. She had never been a crier but she cried over this. This was her family, and it was special because they had picked each other, they weren't forced by blood to stand by one another; they did it because they wanted to. Her heart broke to think of all ways they might be broken apart.

Matt didn't really remember why he had joined glee club, somewhere in the back of his mind he has a vision of a very intimidating Santana coercing him in the locker room. Whatever the reason is, he's glad he did it. He had met his best friends because of it and fallen in love. He and Britney had always been a part of the same crowd but he had never really spoken to her until glee. After their duet in junior year he knew she was the one. A lot of people had told him that he was wasting his time but he didn't listen, now look at them, they were both going to OSU in the fall and they were happy.

Santana looked around the room and smiled. She had never seen herself here, with these people. She's willing to say that Mike had made her a better person and she was glad for it. She was a bitch in sophomore year and she won't lie about it, it had taken the baby situation for her to realize the importance of true friendship and Mike to show her what it mean to truly care about her boyfriend. A lot of them would be staying in the Ohio area but there were those who were going to leave Lima far behind, but she knew that this would not be the last time they were together like this. Nothing was tearing this family apart.

Rachel rested between Pucks legs and listened to his heart beat as her friends made plan after plan for the summer to come. She felt him place kisses on her forehead and tighten his arms around her. There had been times where thing between them didn't seem worth the heartache but she's glad that he hadn't giving up on them. Noah had her heart, and one day she knew that he would follow through on his promise to make an honest woman of her.

Tina deemed it was time to sleep, tomorrow would be a busy day for them. They said their goodnights and turned off the lights in the den. The couples settled into their pairs and they all tried not to think about what they would do when the summer came to an end and it was time to say goodbye.

**AN: couples – Puck&Rachel, Mike&Santana, Britney&Matt, Artie&Tina. Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn are alone for now. **


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own glee =(

**Summer**

June was dedicated to Road trips, most of them had never left the state of Ohio and since they would soon be living elsewhere Kurt thought it was a good idea to explore the unknown. Every Monday morning they would gather in the school parking lot and pick a random street that led out of state. They would drive for hours until they were exhausted and needed to find a place to sleep. They'd wake up and drive, explore and just have random moments of pure undiluted happiness. Wednesday they would turn around to head home making sure not to go back the same way they had come. They were always home by Saturday morning where they would catch up with family and do laundry just to hit the road again Monday morning.

Tina had never felt freer than she did in those four weeks. They never knew what cities they would end up in or where they would be sleeping. They were constantly fighting about where to eat, or which exit to take or which direction to go in but it only made things more genuine, like a family. She thought back to the time her dad had driven the family to an amusement park outside of town and they had sang along with the radio and took a million pictures. She thought that she would never feel as happy as she was in that moment and then her parents had gotten divorced. Her dad had left and her mom had gotten remarried. It had tainted that day for her, made it bittersweet to remember; looking around she knew that there was nothing that could taint this. She would have June 2012 to hold on to for the rest of her life.

Kurt could barely remember his mother, she had died when he was young and he had always felt like something had been missing in his life. His dad loved him and he had never doubted it but it wasn't until Hannah Puckerman had invited him over for dinner that he had felt what it was like to be loved by a mother. One dinner had turned into a weekly routine until Kurt forced his dad to come along because he was having dinner with Noah and his family more than he was with his own. Hannah had never left Lima for any extended period of time and he knew it meant a lot to her that her son was able to do this, and Kurt wanted to give her something in return for the love she had given him. He took as many pictures as he possibly could, and on the back of each one he wrote about what they had done that day and the random thoughts that had popped into his head. If he'd known she would cry when he gave them to her, he would have taken a million more.

On the Sunday that Mike had told his parents that he was taking a year off to pursue his dance career, he had expected to be kicked out, really, he'd already talked to Matt about moving in with him. When his parents had said alright and continued to eat their dinner he held his breath waiting for the blow up. He kept holding his breath until a week later when his parents had sat him in the study and began talking about classes they had thought he would interested in and auditions that were coming up and the fact that lima didn't have a very big dance culture and if he'd considered moving to L.A with Kurt. Mike had not cried since his grandmother had died when he was seven but he cried that day, cried like a baby. He knew his parents had high academic expectation for him, he'd expected them to be furious, he'd just told them he wasn't going to college. Instead they supported him; that was the day that Mike realized his parents had high** life** expectations for him, they didn't care what he did as long as he gave it everything he had.

Britney was a lot smarter than people gave her credit for, sure she was a spaz case and common sense wasn't really her strong suit but not many people could do linear equations in their head like she could. No one had thought she would amount to anything. Everyone thought that she would just be a professional cheerleader turn neighbourhood milf who married rich and sat on her ass all day, but that was not who Britney wanted to be. She wanted to be someone that people looked up to and trusted and loved, she wanted to be successful and though she had no idea what she actually wanted to do career wise she was in no rush. She was still figuring out who she was as a person, the rest would come later. If these road trips had taught her anything it was that living in the moment and doing what made you happy with people you love is all that mattered.

July was when things got serious, Quinn's parent had sat her down one night to let her know that if she got pregnant while in New York they were done with her, the only reason she'd been allowed back into the family fold was because nature had taken care of her indiscretion sophomore year. She moved in with Rachel that night and cried in her fathers' arms the way Quinn's father had never allowed. She wrote her parents a letter to inform them that this would be the last time they heard from her, as far as she was concerned she was no longer their daughter. That was the day Michal and Daniel became daddy and dad to her.

Mercedes would have loved to be there for Quinn but she just couldn't handle any more than she already had to. She had been in the hospital waiting room about to call Kurt when Mike had sent her a text telling her about Quinn and that they were all going over to the Berrys to try and cheer her up. She looked around to the room full of crying family members and lied to him for the first time in their friendship, her mother had just lost her battle with cancer and she didn't have it in her to be there for anyone else. Two days later they had all shown up at her house, someone from her dad's practice had let it slip to Matt's dad that morning. Kurt bitched her out for not calling them and not letting them be there for her before pulling her into his arms and rocking her as she sank to the ground sobbing. They'd stayed with her for three days until they were sure that she would be alright on her own. Mercedes had promised herself she would never keep something from them again; she hadn't really begun to heal until they had held her.

Artie's doctor had approached him about a new stem cell procedure that had been successful overseas and may allow him to walk again. They had sat at his kitchen table and weighed the pros and cons of the procedure until they had decided as a family that it was a risk worth taking. There were complications and the week that Artie had spent in a coma was the hardest they had gone through together. They were the ones who had given this the green light and between the ten of them there was more than enough guilt to go around. They stood vigil around his bed for three days before their parents had said enough was enough and it was time to go home and take care of themselves. They were gone about eight hours, enough time to nap, shower and eat before returning. No one had asked them to move again but they took turns going home to shower and bring back food. When he had opened his eyes there hadn't been a better time to sing but their throats were dry from all the tears they had shed. When Artie moved his toes for the first time in years they were numb with relief and an overwhelming joy.

August brought back memories. It was time for them to start the next chapter of their lives and though they all knew this family they had created would always be there, it was strange to think that if they had a bad day they couldn't use the phone tree and end up in Rachel's backyard making s'mores. They had upgraded their cell phone plans to included unlimited long distance and planned a weekly skype meeting and agreed to be in Lima for all major holidays and made unnecessary promises not to lose touch.

Mike and Kurt were the first to leave and everyone was gathered in the school parking lot to say goodbye. As they hugged and promised to call as soon as they were settled, Kurt couldn't help thinking about junior year when he was dating Spencer from the rugby team and they had found out he was cheating on him. In a matter of minutes he was being hugged and cell phones were on blast and slushies were being bought. By the end of the day the entire school had heard that Kurt had broken up with him and was dating someone new already, slushies had been thrown and Spencer had approached him with a black eye and spilt lip apologizing and begging for forgiveness. "We protect our own" is what Quinn had said as he turned a questioning eye to his best friends. He couldn't remember a time he'd loved them more.

Mercedes and Tina were next; they had decided to skip the school route and went straight into the job circuit. They had opened a small boutique in the orange county area that sold both Mercedes' clothing and Tina's art, it was new age and chic and the investors were excited. Tina remembered when she and Artie had broken up for the first time, she had been ready to take their relationship to the next level but he was insecure. She asked him how he could be secure within their relationship if he couldn't be secure within himself. It took a whole week for him to realize he was being ridiculous and they had been at it like rabbits ever since. He rested his cane against the car so he could wrap both of his arms around her before letting go and placing a kiss on her forehead and whispering a question into her ear. They'd been gone all of five minutes before his phone had buzzed with her answer. They'd tell everyone at thanksgiving.

Leaving Puck was the last thing she wanted to do but New York was where she needed to be to pursue her dreams and she was grateful that he loved her enough to understand that. Quinn watched as her sister and her best friend held on to each other as if afraid that the world would slip away if they dared let go. When she had lost the baby she had felt like her world was falling apart and there was nothing she could do. Noah had held her together; with his bare hands he had kept her from falling into the deep abyss that threatened to claim her soul. When his arms had gotten tired and began to slip away she had been scared that she would finally lose the battle but then she felt another pair of arms around her and looked into Rachel's eyes and truly saw her for the first time. Every time one pair of arms began to slip they were replaced by another. They were all there, holding her together until she had the strength to do it herself. Noah let go of Rachel then, and Quinn was there to lead her to the car and hold her hand until she had the strength to let go.

The rest stayed in the parking lot for hours until the sun had began to set and each car was long gone. They had gotten a house together with the help of their parents; they were going to OSU and didn't really see the need to live on campus like the other first years. Britney had offered to stay with her parents in case (god forbid) she and Matt ever broke up but Matt had assured her that even if that happened it wouldn't ruin their friendship and he wanted to live with her no matter their relationship status. She watched the looks on Santana, Artie and Pucks' faces and was thankful that she had chosen to live in the house, she didn't want to know what it felt like to be separated from Matt, it looked like it hurt, a lot.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own Glee =(

**First Semester**

They had become home dwellers. Never leaving unless it was to go to class, and even then they didn't bother to do anything but throw on a sweater and grab their laptops. Hannah and the Berrys had been forced to come over after a few weeks when Britney had mentioned that she didn't remember what colour the carpet was anymore. There were clothes everywhere, open books sprawled across their desks, highlighted notes covering the kitchen table and pizza boxes on every other surface. When Hannah had asked them the last time they had gone out they had all replied that morning listing the various classes they had all attended. She knew she had to intervene then if her son's first thought had not been the latest action movie or football game. They'd taken them all out to dinner and watch as they ate like they hadn't in weeks (which was partially true they were living off delivered pizza and pepsi), then made each of them promise to do their laundry at Hannah's house ever Sunday that way they knew they would eat real food and go somewhere other than class and back home again.

They had never been so busy in their lives. Tina was being inspired every day; painting, sketching, and doodling any and everything that came into her mind. She picked the things she liked best and arranged them around the store. Mercedes had become really good friends with the people at the fabric store, she was there almost every day getting new things for the designs she had drawn. Things were flying off the hangers, people were loving what she was designing and Tina's art was the hottest thing since colour by numbers. The store was doing really great and it had only been a few months. She'd met someone too, his name was Dylan. He'd come through the store one day with his niece for her birthday. She'd written her number on his receipt and he'd actually called. Artie had wanted to wait until thanksgiving and she'd just wanted to tell everyone the minute she'd said yes but now she was glad they had waited. Things weren't going well and her gut told her they weren't going to get any better any time soon.

They were in their element. Kurt was surrounded by people who saw him as more than the gay diva of glee club. They saw his talent and loved his flare. They saw his appeal and there was a line of wannabe actors and models all waiting to go out with the new fashion student. 'Its raining men' was a song he never thought would apply to his life; god he loved being wrong. He had never seen so many dancers in one room before. Lima had not prepared him for his first cattle call, or his first call back. The choreographers were loving him and he was so thankful for the classes his parents signed him up for that summer. He'd called them after his first rejection and told them that maybe he would go to college after all, his mother had hung up the phone. Two days later he had received a text saying he wasn't allowed to come home until he had been hired as a dancer. She'd flown down for a weekend to watch the video première in his living room; she cried while telling him he was welcome back for thanksgiving.

They were overwhelmed but in a good way. They had been enveloped into the world of musical theatre and it was eating them alive but they were fighting back and getting better each day. They spent their days singing, dancing and acting; there wasn't room for anything else. Rachel had planned on joining clubs but after a week realized that that just wouldn't be happening. Quinn had planned to join the local cheerleading team; it took her a week to realize there weren't enough hours in the day. Their directors pushed them, their teachers challenged them and their friends kept them sane.

**Thanksgiving**

They had come back a day early to surprise everyone. The parents had been sworn to secrecy and they had pulled up to the house to see that a party was in full swing. Walking through the door they all had fanned out to find their significant others while they others went to find the alcohol. There was a loud bang and a scream; it took three point eight seconds for them to move through the crowd and turn down the hallway that lead to the bedrooms. Tina was screaming at the top of her lungs as Artie tried to reach for her arm begging her to let him explain. The half naked girl behind him left nothing to be explained but she did make things worse by asking who Tina was and why she was so upset that she was having sex with her boyfriend. Tina pulled a ring out of her pocket and threw it at her, "I find it hard to believe that you're his girlfriend when I was his fiancé" and stormed out of the house demanding to be taken home. The world stopped, spun off of its axle and landed in another dimension in those few short moments. The guys blocked Artie's path as he tried to chase after Tina and the girls reminded themselves that they needed to take care of Tina, and Artie would be dealt with later.

They spent their first thanksgiving apart in four years. Tina refused to go to Kurt's house if Artie was there and since Kurt and the girls were steadfast in having nothing to do with him at the moment that was not a problem. The girls had thanksgiving dinner with their families at Kurt's while the boys had dinner with their families at the house. Tina had flown back home the next day saying that she needed time alone. They had all gone to the house to give Artie a piece of their minds but couldn't once they saw the look of total self-loathing in his eyes. Tina had sent him an email after the dinner disasters and asked that he leave her alone for the sake of the family, she wanted time to heal and eventually get back to the friendship they had started with but for now she wanted nothing to do with him. He was devastated but had no one to blame but himself.

The girls became paranoid after that, they had not seen this coming and were a little freaked that Artie was capable of hurting Tina like that when they all knew how much he loved her. The guys were in shock that Artie had proposed and still done what he did, they were also pissed because now they were paying for his sins on top of everything else. Britney had lived with Artie and hadn't known what was going on, if that was possible then it was possible for Matt to be cheating on her too, and Puck on Rachel, and Mike on Santana. Everything was coming apart at the seams and no one knew how to sow them back together.

**Second Semester**

Tina had bought three hundred dollars worth of black, red and grey paint. She stayed up for three straight days creating her new collection. Mercedes had taken her cue from that and modified some of her designs to match the new paintings and named the collection Haunted Souls. Grey became the new teal and they were ready to open their second store. The success was bittersweet though, it had come at the price of Tina's happiness. She hadn't spoken since that day. She would text and email everyone (minus Artie) almost daily, and she would write on a mini white board and hold it up during video chats but she never actually used her voice, she didn't even sing along with the music in the boutique. It had been months and Mercedes thought she was dreaming for a second when she heard a scream in the middle of the night. She ran into Tina's room when reality had set in and found her curled into a corner with tears running down her face. She hadn't said a single word in three months and with eyes void of any emotion and a voice soft and broken she asked her best friend the question that had repeating itself over and over in her mind, "how could I have been more, what could I have done to be enough?" What Tina said that night would haunt Mercedes for years afterward. She held her friend that night and cried as though it was her heart that was broken, she said everything she could to explain that she was enough, that she was more than anyone deserved to have, that she was perfect, all the while knowing that Tina was much too broken to believe her.

Quinn had fallen in love and it scared her more than anything ever had. She had only ever been in love with one person and she didn't know if she had it in her to give her heart away again. She had trusted Artie with her best friend's heart and he had betrayed that. Artie and Tina had been together for years, their relationship was built on the purest friendship and they still didn't make it. What hope was there for her and a boy she had only just met? Puck was up for the weekend visiting and Rachel had convinced them to go on a double date. At the end of the night Puck had pulled her into a hug and told her that he liked Tommy, she was shocked, Puck didn't like anybody. Rachel was sure that it was a sign she and Tommy were meant to be together. She was sure it was a sign that hell had frozen over but had invited him back to Ohio with her for spring break anyways, with puck already taken care of she just needed the approval of her fathers before she could fully commit her heart to this man.

Kurt had just gone through his third breakup of the year and he was really ready to give up on the dating scene. He wasn't looking for his soul mate by any means but he wasn't looking for a fling either. He was sick of models, they were basically all the same and thought it was just too cute to be dating a designer, he thought it was too cliché. Actors weren't much better; they were all waiting for the next big break while he was trying to create one for himself. FIDM was the best thing to ever happen to him and L.A was a beautiful place but sometimes he wishes he'd stayed in Ohio where people were a little less generic. It was a good thing that he was a caffeine addict or else he would have never met the answer to all of his problems. Alex was a Dj, and though his fashion sense was a little out there it worked for him and he was as far from the mould as one could get. They started out as friends, meeting up at clubs and fashion events. It was a coincidence that Mike was hired to dance in a club promotion video for one of Alex's events. He was slightly embarrassed by the "oh, you're that Alex?! nice to meet you dude" comment, but Alex had found it flattering. The first time they kissed, Kurt thought it was time to rethink that whole soul mate thing; maybe he was looking for one after all.

Santana had freaked out and dragged Britney out of the library and into the bathroom faster than she'd done anything in her entire life. She had thought she could do this alone but she was wrong. It had been a month since her last period and if she hadn't gone to see Mike the month before that she wouldn't be worried, but she had so she was. At first she thought it was stress, midterms were coming up and she needed a 75 in econ to make it onto the dean's list. But then she'd had a sudden craving for brussels sprouts and raced to the drug store picking up every brand of pregnancy test she could get her hands on. Britney couldn't handle this on her own so she had activated the phone tree. Ten hours later Kurt, Tina and Mercedes were one speaker phone while Rachel and Quinn held Santana's hands and Britney read out the results. Six negatives and two positives later, they had moved to the doctor's office and held their breath for the official results. Yes, she had been pregnant but her body had rejected the embryo. It happened all the time he said, it was just nature's way of saying either she wasn't ready or the baby wouldn't have been healthy. They driven back to Rachel's house and camped out in the living room. They had eaten ice cream and watched movies until the shock wore off and she finally broke down. "I would have been a good mom", was all she said as Quinn rocked her back and forth while the others rubbed her back. It would be years before she told Mike about that day.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own Glee =(

**Summer**

Tina had opted to stay in California. They had all tried to talk her out of it but there was no point. Quinn said she was like Noah building the Ark and Artie was her flood. Everyone stared at her like she had grown a third eyeball until Rachel explained Tina was going through something that no one had seen coming and she had to do her own thing in order to survive, even if it didn't make sense to anyone else. Tina didn't feel like Noah though, he had had faith that God was right and the flood would come and pass and everything would be beautiful again. She had no such faith. Her father had loved her mother, she could remember what it was like but something had changed. Her mother had been devastated, like she had been, blindsided by the shift that neither had felt. She swore on that day never to love a man like her father, a man that could love in one instant and abandon in the next. Now look at her, all weepy and pathetic. She was only twenty years old for crying out loud. She had the rest of her life to be broken and bitter. She needed to find herself again and she knew just how to do it. It was time to build herself an ark.

If she hadn't promised to stay in Lima for the summer, Mercedes would have booked the first plane back to Newport the second she hung up with Tina. She was glad that her friend had decided it was time to move on but did she have to open the second boutique on her own to do it? She knew she had nothing to worry about, Ah'Mai'Zing was as much her love child as it was Tina's, but like any mother she wanted to be there to witness the birth of her child. However, she knew this is what Tina needed, and if she had to jump into the game when her baby was already a few months old it didn't make her any less of a mother. Which is what she kept telling Kurt because he seemed to think she was flipping out (she was) but the more she talked the harder he laughed. Something about referring to the store as her child was amusing to him, he finally shut up when she threatened to throw out his bedazzle.

Kurt was excited to have three solid months with his family but he missed Alex, a lot. He hadn't really allowed himself to be serious about anyone since Spencer and being away from him only served to remind him how attached he was. Being the complete pansy (Mike's words) he was, he called Alex and asked if he had plans for the fourth of July. Everyone (surprisingly) had the tact not to mention that Alex brought more than enough luggage for a weekend visit. By the end of the month everyone Kurt loved had signed off on the person he felt might very well be the love of his life. All the same it wasn't until mid-august that he sat Daniel and Michal down and began a thorough discussion about the process of gay marriage. Alex had already done his homework but everyone kept that little detail a secret, Kurt deserved the plans Alex had for their anniversary.

Britney didn't know if it was because of what happened between Artie and Tina or seeing Kurt so in love with someone he'd just met (less than a year ago), but she was beginning to have doubts about her relationship with Matt. They had dealt with being an interracial couple, the rumors of her being a slut and him a cheater, the awkward family dinners after his mom caught them in bed and her father's constant reminders that he was an excellent marksmen. They had been through so much that she felt guilty for doubting them for even a second. She had thought that she would be the one to bring up marriage. Never in a million years did she think that he would be the one convincing her it was a good idea. She had always wanted to marry young, and have a steady job and a nice house and kids by the time she was thirty and everything was going according to plan, except the doubts that kept her awake at night. She didn't want to commit herself to him anymore than she already had only for it not to work out, she'd rather lose him now than later down the road. In a perfect world she wouldn't have to lose him at all. All these thoughts are going round and round in her head while she's in bed with his arms wrapped around her, and right before she falls asleep she remembers that the world was far from perfect.

Santana knew all about what Britney was going through and having gone through the same thing with Mike, she knew that Britney had to come up with her own answers. She knew what it was like to be so in love with someone it scared you. She had been so scared that she had cheated on Mike in junior year just to try and prove to herself that she didn't need him, (it blew up in her face to say the absolute least), she had felt guiltier than Kurt was gay. Santana spent days afterwards avoiding him and making up excuses for being distant. It wasn't until a month or so later that she realized what a good thing she had and had fuck up all in the same instant. The boys walked into the choir room covered in cuts and bruises having clearly been in a fight. Mike's eyes made it clear that the jig was up and the relationship over. Months later Brandon (the other guy) had finally told her exactly what had happened. It was the night of the big August thunderstorm when she'd showed up at his house demanding answers. It was one thing to beat Brandon up for lying but when he'd proved she'd slept with him (beauty mark on her **lower **back) it wasn't Mike's style to beat up someone for telling the truth. In that moment (as cheesy as it sounds) time stopped for her, she held her breath and looked into his eyes begging for an olive leaf (a branch would have been a big leap), and she waited for his answer. You're mine, turned out to be the most amazing thing anyone had ever said to her and from that day she promised that no matter how much she changed and what she became, being his would always mean more to her than anything.

Quinn wanted what her friends had. It had been so long since she'd been in love with someone that there were times that she thought she didn't know how to feel it anymore. Tommy was everything a girl would ask for. He was smart, kind, gorgeous, talented, and honest, her friends loved him and her dads loved him. Yet, she felt there was something missing from the relationship. She loved him, there was no doubt about it but she didn't feel like she was in love with him. She felt stupid really, she was surrounded by people who were so in love with each other it would be sickening (still was sometimes) if they weren't her very best friends. So if there were ever a group of people that would recognize love of that magnitude it would be them. Rachel said that if you had to ask yourself if you were in love with someone the answer was no, daddy agreed but her dad said that sometimes love sneaks up on you and before you even notice tripping you've fallen. A part of her wanted to dump Tommy and go off in search of that blind love that was spontaneous and new and fun, but a bigger part of her (the smarter part according to Tina) knew that no matter how being in love felt it held no guarantees so why stop a good thing.

Rachel knew just how lucky she was to be with Noah, but sometimes she couldn't tell him everything. They were all best friends, family, but even the tightest knit families had secrets, and the closest best friends had allies outside of the fold. Not telling Noah that she and Finn had been talking over the last year was not because she still had feelings for him, it was because she knew that Noah would hate it and she didn't want to deal with a jealous boyfriend if she didn't have too. Their biggest problem in high school had been that Noah had never believed that Rachel and Finn could share a platonic friendship, it had gotten so bad that Rachel had been forced to choose. She didn't want to be that girl who gave in to the demanding boyfriend so she had chosen Finn. Even dated him for a month (mostly to piss off Noah) but Finn knew she wasn't as happy as she could be and told her to make things right with Noah. When Finn had called her back in October, she knew she should tell Noah (Quinn made sure of it) but she didn't want history to repeat itself. She could be friends with Finn and have Noah at the same time, she was sure of it.

Artie had skipped the road trip to the old bed and breakfast they had found last year. Instead he opted to spend his time trying to think of ways to make things better with Tina but he was coming up empty. He hadn't even really liked that girl she had caught him with, or the ones before her or the ones after. Artie had spent his entire adolescence in a wheel chair and walking had changed him in so many ways, not all for the better. Physiotherapy had given him muscles and walking had given him confidence, university had given him whores and a long distance relationship had given him a reason. Now, after all had been said and done the only thing he could think about was Tina, and the look on her face when she had given (thrown) back his ring. He cared that his family was pissed; he'd fucked with the dynamic they had been working under for years. He cared that his mother had nearly put him back in a wheelchair (with only his father holding her back) for taking from her the best daughter-in-law a woman could ask for. But what her cared most about was that the woman he loved was hurting because of something he'd done, that she was broken and all he wanted to do was hold her and tell her he was sorry but he couldn't. He'd lost the right to do anything but hate himself for being so selfish.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own Glee =(

Second Year

**First Semester**

Everyone had flow over to share this moment with him and even though he was really glad, a part of him wishes that they hadn't come. It had only taken him a few music videos to realize that he didn't want to be the one in front of the camera. He'd stopped audition for a bit and had done a semester at UCLA majoring in dance theory. He wanted to look up at a stage and watch as dancers came together and expressed the music through movement, his movement. It was his first show and he had handpicked the dancers, the music, everything. He'd thought Ah'Mai'Zing Newport, was a great venue choice, everyone had help redecorate for the night and Tina's art and Mercedes clothes were incorporated into the event. He promised himself that tonight would just be a one show of many, but he knew that if things didn't go well he'd probably quit now and head back to school to do something else. Santana was by his side, holding his hand and smiling as agents and artists approached him after the showing asking questions like how much he charged and what styles of music he usually worked with and his availability. She was there later that night when it actually hit him. He picked her up, spun her around and expressed himself the best way he could; through movement. The dance they had created was breathtaking or at least that's what everyone had said at his next show, who knew sex could inspire such a wonderful contemporary routine.

It had been months before Dylan had trusted her enough to meet his daughter. She was beautiful and smart and Mercedes loved her. At first she hadn't really been okay with it (mama drama was not her thing) but Dylan assured her that there would be no drama. It had taken a year for Dylan to trust her enough to tell her why. He had cried in her arms that night and she didn't know what to do, so she held him and rubbed his back as he told her about the darkest period in his short life. Dylan had married his high school sweetheart right out of the gate and they had been happier than anyone deserved to be. It wasn't until her twenty-first birthday that they were faced with the darker side of reality. They had been at a concert when she'd collapsed. She spent weeks being poked and prodded as the doctors searched for the cause. Three weeks later they added pregnancy to the list of reasons why she wouldn't do the chemo. The cancer was in the early stages and though she wasn't at risk of dying anytime soon, her chances of recovery were cut in half the year she spent pregnant and then breast feeding. By the time they agreed to do it she had a 46% survival rate. They stopped the chemo early so that she could actually enjoy her young daughter's life. She had passed away leaving Alana motherless and Dylan without the woman he'd loved nearly his entire life. That night Mercedes held him, whispering everything he needed to hear and promised that she would be there for him always; that Alana would no longer be motherless and he would no longer be alone. He bought the ring a week later but it would be years before he trusted himself enough to give it to her.

Quinn was spending a lot more time with Tommy, and it wasn't for the reasons it should be. Finn had started to visit Rachel and though she was no longer pining with him she refused to be in the same room as him while Noah was still unaware of the situation. Had Rachel not been her sister she would have just told Noah herself but she couldn't do it. She had thought that the baby secret had been bad but this was worst, when this blew up in Rachel's face she wouldn't have Noah to hold her like Quinn had. All of this on top of the fact that she was beginning to realize that she really wasn't in love with Tommy (like REALLY wasn't). There were things about him that she just couldn't stand. Like how he made fun of her calling her fathers dad and daddy (couldn't think of anything more original?) or that she had Rachel had both been with Finn and Puck (isn't that kind of like being with your sister?) or how he never really understood why her friends meant so much to her (family is family, friends are friends what's with you guys?). But he loved her, she knew he did and he didn't treat her badly so she put up with it. Rachel and Sean would constantly remind her that she wasn't really allowing herself to love the right way but she'd done that once and it hadn't gotten her anywhere so she was fine where she was.

Matt was starting to realize that Britney was purposely pulling away from him and their relationship. At first he'd blamed Artie (like actually yelled and blamed him), and then that summer he thought it was because Tina had chosen not to come (which really fucked with everyone's head), but it wasn't summer anymore and Tina was back to her old self again (almost). Night after night he would pretend to still be asleep as he felt her move from out of his arms and cry on her side of the bed with her back to him. Day after day he would pretend that he didn't notice they barely touched anymore and that she wouldn't even pitch a fit if he spoke to a hot girl about something other than school. He hadn't gone to class, or moved really all day. He'd taken a shower around noon and started packing at one. Britney had a late class that night so he didn't have to worry about her coming home. He'd called everyone on the way to the airport just to make sure they wouldn't have the chance to talk him out of this. He called Mike and Kurt when he had gotten into the cab, and asked for sanctuary. They had tried to play hardball and send him home until he pulled the family card. They didn't like it, but if this was his choice they would support him.

Santana had hoped that Matt would fight for her friend but understood why he hadn't. It was hard to stand by someone when they don't seem to want you around. She'd tried time and time again to talk some sense into Britney but she would just sit and smile and say that she had the situation under control (clearly she didn't). When Matt had texted her she had stormed out of her lecture and went straight to her car. She found the boys standing by it blocking the doors, Matt had called them first and she hated that he knew her so well. They wouldn't let her go after him, this was something that he needed do and they needed to let him. She fought back for awhile until Artie got in her face, if someone had tried to go after Tina that night Santana would have showed them who was boss, they were just doing the same for Matt. They went home instead and waited for Britney. They sat her down the minute she walked through the door and handed her the letter (7 page letter!) Matt had left for her. She read it said okay and went to go get something to eat, did her homework, she even watched TV for a bit. By the third episode of The Game, Santana had sent the 911 texts and the redeye tickets had been bought and the boys packed. By the time Britney had put on one of Matt's sweaters and curled into bed the boys were half way to LA and the girls were in the kitchen making brownies. By the time Matt finished bitching the guys out for coming (then hugging them and nearly crying) the girls were in bed with their arms wrapped around Britney as she cried into his pillow. Nothing was accomplished that weekend and everyone returned home hearts still heavy.

**Christmas**

Britney had made the decision to go to Aspen with her family when Matt had made it clear he would not be missing Christmas dinner at the Puckerman's. They had seen her off at the airport trying to convince her to stay but they all knew that nothing would change her mind. After Matt had come back from L.A, she had moved back home (not his choice) and they hadn't seen each other in weeks. She didn't want their first meeting to happen at Christmas dinner in front of everyone. She had a lot to say to him but at the same time nothing at all, her emotions were unpredictable and she didn't want to spontaneously erupt in front of everyone. She looked out the window of the plane and watched as they waved her farewell, she couldn't help but pay attention to the fact that Tina and Artie were both there. They weren't standing next to each other or anything but they had managed to get passed everything (including that they were still in love with each other) and come together for the family. A part of her wanted to be the bigger person and hope that she and Matt could both get to that place someday but she was selfish and if Matt wasn't the love of her life a part of her didn't want him in her life at all. She had to find a way to live with what she had done and she hoped being away from everything would help.

Puck had been thinking a lot (more than he ever had), and the more he thought the more he was thankful for the relationship he and Rachel had built. Their foundation was solid, they had been friends first, and though there had been drama along the way they had always fallen back on that friendship. Every time they broke up they managed to come back to being friends and it only took a few weeks until being friends wasn't enough. He had found his purpose in life because of her and she hadn't given up on hers because of him. He was so thankful that he turned a blind eye to the red flags that had been popping up lately. They hadn't been together for this long without him learning her tells (which is why they can only play poker as a team), and she was keeping something from him. It was the way she seemed to text more than she usually did, or how she would say 'a friend' instead of a name sometimes when he asked who she was talking. He knew she wasn't cheating on him, well more like he had asked Quinn and he knew she was telling the truth when she ripped him a new one for accusing her sister of such a thing. But even then he had known that Quinn was in on it (whatever _it_ was), her voice wasn't as high or loud and she didn't go on for hours the way she usually did when she defined someone she loved. Rachel may not be cheating on him but she was doing something that Quinn didn't like. Something that she wouldn't tell Noah. She was talking to his mom on the couch and he was with Michal (daddy) and Artie talking about the auto show next month when he looked up to find her staring at him. He loved her, and he knew that she loved him. His mother followed Rachel's gaze and he could see her sigh. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind and his mom smiled going on and on about how beautiful Rachel would look in white, Noah laughed (it had been a long time since her virtuous days) and his mother just rolled her eyes and walked away kissing his cheek as she left. Rachel wasn't cheating on him and whatever it is she was doing wasn't hurting her so he'd let it go and hold on to her instead. He tightened his arms around her and listened to her sing under her breath.

Mike had gone to the jewellery store every day for a month just to make sure he didn't have any doubts about his choice. He had given Santana a promise ring for their second anniversary and now almost three years later he wanted to give her another ring with another promise. He waited until everyone had eaten and talked and laughed and the night was winding down. He waited until they were in the in the den sharing stories about moments in the past when he moved to the middle of the room and pulled her with him. Everyone gasped as he pulled the ring out and he saw his mom faint out of the corner of his eye. He tuned them out and stared into her eyes.

" _Baby, I love you. More than anyone I've ever been with. More in love with you than I thought was possible. We've gone through hard times, and we've been apart before so I can really mean it when I say that I never want to be without you. I've done it and that is not the way I want to live my life. I want to know that I have someone there to wake me up in the morning so I'm not late for work, or distract me in the morning so I'm too late to even bother going. I want to know that I have someone who will tell me where I left my keys when I can't find them, or start the coffee maker while I'm in the shower. I want to know I have someone I can talk to about anything, someone that I can love and take care of, who will love and take care of me in return. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you better until there is nothing I don't know about you. I want to look into your eyes and see our future, and look into our children's' eyes and see you. I'm yours, beyond my own life I will be yours. I need you to tell me if you'll be mine?"_

His mother had awoken and was now holding Santana's mother as they both cried and listened as he declared his love for the woman in front of him. Santana had been blindsided, they hadn't even talked about marriage (well not seriously) and she was speechless from everything that he'd said. She wanted to see him in the eyes of their children and know that they were a product of the love she felt inside of her heart that consumed her more and more every day. _"I don't know how to be anything but yours. Yes, yes, yes yes yes yes yes," _she repeated it over and over as he spun her around in the air.

The girls had cried tears of joy as a group for the first time in a long time, this is why they were a family, it was moments like these that made it obvious. It was unexplainable. Every life-changing decision they had made had either been made together or after a heavy group discussion. They were a family, and in the second it took Santana to answer, Quinn had made the decision to end her relationship with Tommy. If he could not understand how these people were so much more than her friends, there was no way that he could ever really understand her. She may be scared but it was time to get out from under the bed and find someone who could join this family and love her in a way that brought tears to her eyes. She smiles at her friends, and fawned over the ring and celebrated more that day then her saviour's birth. She thank god that her family was healthy and happy and prayed that he would guide her and help her to find the one to complete her. She wasn't one of those people who thought that couples took two halves that make a whole (she was her own person, her own whole) but she wanted to a part of a team. She wanted to feed off of someone strengths when she was weak and have them feed off hers, she wanted to have someone hold her and feel save and untouchable. She wanted the bond she had with all these people in someone who wanted to ravage her on the kitchen table (yeah, that sounded ideal).

**Second Semester**

If someone had told Mercedes that she would be a mother by the age of twenty-two, she would have laughed in their faces and suggested they stop hitting the crack pipe. She had never seen herself in this situation, but to be fair she hadn't seen a lot of the things that had happened in her life. She had been spending a lot of time with Dylan and Alana since Tina had opened the new store in Cypress. She was spending most of her time in the apartment they had bought there so Mercedes was left with a lot of free time. Tina was spending so much time there that a few weeks after Christmas she'd officially moved out of their condo in Newport and into the apartment. That's when Dylan had asked her to move them and she had agreed. When Alana had asked if Mercedes was there to stay, she had said it would take God to make her leave. It wasn't long before they fell into a comfortable routine that had Mercedes excited to wake up but life still held surprises. Like the day Alana had wanted to stay home and go to the beach instead of going to school. She had whined and whined until she finally relented, "Okay mommy but can we go after school?"

Dylan had spit his coffee all over the breakfast table and Mercedes was left gaping. Alana had laughed at her parents, hoped off her chair and stated she would be waiting in the car. Dylan had cleaned up the mess (he couldn't think of anything to say) and said that he too would be waiting in the car. She was silent as they drove Alana to school (bye daddy, bye mommy) and didn't say a word until she called Kurt and told him (you deserve this babe). If someone had told her that she would be a mother at twenty-two she would have laughed, because she had no idea what it meant to love someone so much you would give everything for them, become anything for them, do anything for them. She watched as Alana played with the other kids at the park and was glad no one had told her, she liked that it had surprised her. Alana called to her and she went to her daughter.

Britney had gone over to the house to help Santana with wedding plans when Rachel had called to tell them about Alana and Mercedes (phone trees rock!). Britney had squealed about no longer needing to find a flower girl and now they just needed to find a little boy that was just as gorgeous as Alana to be the ring bearer. Everything was going great until the door opened and in walked Puck and Matt. They hadn't seen each other since the morning before he left and aside from an email agreeing to be civil for the family they hadn't spoke to each other either. The tension was palpable and Puck was about to make an excuse to leave when Britney had said hi, smiled and went back to wedding planning. Seeing that the world wasn't coming to an end everyone relaxed and the girls went back to their planning. Britney was less focused but other than that she seemed perfectly fine.

It was all an act, inside she was counting the minutes before she could leave without it seeming like Matt was the cause for her sudden departure. Luckily for her she had the best family a girl could ask for. After an hour of the awkward (heart breaking) situation her phone rang, it was Quinn who had called (after Puck had texted her) and told her this was her out, make something up and leave. She smiled thinking about junior year when they had come up with the covert text/call out system. Then frowned when she remembered why she needed an out, she played along and acted like she wasn't talking to Quinn then excused herself and left. She barely got down the street before she had to pull over. Matt had watched her leave and though he didn't say anything he was hoping they could talk.

He had gone out to the driveway hoping to catch her but she had already left. He was about to go back inside when he saw her pull over. Figuring she'd forgotten something he waited, after five minutes he was worried that something had happened, then she got out of the car. He watched for twenty minutes as she screamed and cried and shook, kicking her care and breaking down completely. He felt his world stop when he saw her hang her head in complete defeat. He'd done that to her, he'd caused this outburst, all because he had been scared that she didn't want him anymore. Clearly he was wrong, he pulled out his phone to call her. She didn't answer it, instead she looked towards the house (still close enough that she could see him) and stated typing out a text. She smiled to him before getting back into the car and driving off.

_I was too scared. You were right to leave. I'm going to be okay. Don't worry. Find someone who can love you… better than I did. _He stood there for what felt like hours and promised that he would get her back no matter what he had to do.

She's stunned and speechless. When her feet started to work again she would find her dad and declare him to be the smartest person she's ever met. It was her first time playing lead and everyone had flown up to see her opening night. The play was a hit and everyone had gone to the local pub to celebrate. There were a lot of cast mates there and she was glad that her home life got to meet her New York one and that they blended so well. Sean had bought her blue roses and she wondered when she had told him they were her favourite. She was making introductions but it seemed he already knew who was who, he said that she talked about them often enough it wasn't hard, she wondered when they had spent so much time together.

She was doing karaoke with Rachel and a few of the girls from their vocal class when she looked up to see Sean with the boys and her dads. She looked at Noah and watched how easily he laughed and how unguarded he was, which was a near miracle he was never that open with people other than family (not even Tommy). She looked at her daddy and her dad hold hands and talk to Sean and the boys talk about life and cars. Her dads weren't ashamed but they understood that their relationship still made some people uneasy, Sean didn't even look like he noticed (Tommy had to stop himself from staring). She almost missed a note (which never happens) when she sees him take Britney under his arm and ruffle her hair and laugh as Santana went on and on about the time it had taken the girls (plus Kurt course) to get ready.

They clicked, her family was acting as though Sean had always been a key member. He was not the new member that needed to get use to the dynamic like Tommy had been. He got them, which met her got her. And just like that, just like her dad had said, she had fallen in love without even noticing that she'd tripped. After the song was done she took her first risk in over four years. She was purposeful in her steps as she walked towards the group, they all turned to look at her and gave her a wide berth, they knew that look in her eyes (she was on a mission). She left no space between them as she curled her hand around his neck and kissed him with everything she had. When they parted she waited for him to say something but he just stared at her. It took a few minutes before he dropped his forehead to hers and whispers, "Marry me one day?" Everyone laughed and went back to the previous conversation, but she had seen the truth in his eyes. She tightened her grip on his hand and nodded her head when he looked down at her. It would be years before she bought the dress (the one that made her fathers cry) but she knew in that moment he was the one she would be walking towards.

**Authors note: I'm thinking about ending this at seven chapters, not sure yet…. Feedback plz**

**ps: Its been brought to my attention that I didn't really give Sean a proper introduction, he was a friend of Quinn's from school.  
**


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own glee =(

_Authors note: I'm just putting out there that reviews actually make my life and I actually respond if the situation calls for it. Thanks for reading everybody : )_

**Summer**

The summer had started off well given everything that had happened in the last year. Dylan (plus Alana), Alex and Sean were all invited back to Ohio as a part of the family and were becoming educated in the many traditions they had. The annual road trip was better with the new members and Alana's presence was pushing the girls to think about children and when it would be right to start having them. Mercedes was a natural mother and unless someone told you beforehand you would never be able to guess that she hadn't been the one to give birth to the gorgeous child.

It was hard to explain to someone for it was truly something you had to see for yourself. It was clear that these people somehow managed to love each other individually and as a part of the whole. It was a strange notion but there was very little about them that wasn't strange.

The frequent trips to the ice cream parlour were Alex's favourite part of the summer. He knew that for years to come the smell of rocky road ice cream would cause him to smile as he reflected on the light conversation and tear inducing laughter that were anchored in those trips. It was as though they became untouchable in those moments, as though there was nothing outside of the doors, and they existed only to be together. He agreed with Santana, he hadn't known happiness until he had choked on ice cream while laughing.

Dylan had never been on school property on a weekend while he attended the institution much less years after graduating. Yet he spent nearly every Sunday night in those three months lying on his back on the football field behind McKinley High. From the stories he had heard, a lot had happened in that football field through the course of their friendship, and he felt privileged that they would share those nights with him. He agreed with Britney, the stars where definitely brighter there than anywhere else in the world.

Sean wasn't a fan of football. He'd played soccer all his life, and a little basketball in high school but never football. This was a problem; football was like the national family sport. They watched it, talked about it, played it, he wouldn't have been surprised if they'd found a way to snort it. It was like crack to them. Quinn had spent weeks trying to get him in to it, but no dice. The guys (Mike, Puck, Matt, and Kurt) were playing in a local summer league and it wasn't until their first game that he understood. By the second half Sean was cheering and booing and criticizing along with the rest of them. It wasn't about the game; it was about creating yet other area they could enjoy as a family. A few of them had always played and the others had found a way to share their passion. He agreed with Kurt, Monday night football was a gift from the gods.

To say that the summer ended badly would be like saying oxygen was good, just too big an understatement to be spoken out loud. Noah had gone with his mom and sister to visit relatives for a few days but after several strained conversations with Rachel had decided to come back home early. Things had been getting tenser between them over the past few weeks and Noah had no idea what was going on. On the many occasions that he had tried to approach Quinn with his concerns he was met with a brick wall of denial. She insisted that she had no idea what was going on but he had finally worn her down enough to admit that she did know something but it wasn't her place to say.

He pulled up to Rachel's house and was confused to see a red sedan parked in the driveway. He had spent enough time there that an unfamiliar car was enough cause for alarm. He brushed it off as someone there to do work on the house or install new electronics. He pulled out his key and let himself into the house. He could hear her laughter from the foyer and followed the sound into the den. He stood in the doorway for several minutes unable to process what was going on in front of him. For some reason his girlfriend was on the floor being tickled by someone he wasn't aware she was still in contact with.

If their proximity wasn't enough to cause him unease it was the fact that his girlfriend who told him when she switched toothpastes had neglected to inform him that she had not only begun speaking to but hanging out with her ex-boyfriend (the guy she had spent nearly a year in love with). It wasn't even like this was one IM that could have slipped her mind. He thought back to all the text messages and calls from a 'friend' and it broke his heart to admit that this was more than an omission of facts, she had flat out lied to him. They had never kept secrets from each other, they had promised that at the beginning of their relationship. This was one red flag that he couldn't turn a blind eye to.

He took two keys off of his key ring, the one for her parents' home and the one for her apartment in New York. He left them on the key hook by the door and took the label with his name on it off. He looked back down the hallway and gave serious thought to walking back in there, kicking Finn out and demanding answers. Then he began to think of all the time they had spent together and she had smiled at him weeks, days maybe even hours later as though nothing had ever happened. He turned around, walked out the door slamming it behind him.

If Noah had looked back as he drove off he would have seen Rachel race out of the house and stand sobbing in the driveway. The sight would have been enough to get him to turn around. If he had turned around he would have seen Finn gather her into her arms and been forced to watch as she held on to him for dear life. The sight would have been enough to kill him. Quinn thanked God he hadn't looked back as she sat in his living room watching movies, eating pizza and acting as though her sister hadn't broken his heart that very afternoon.

Everyone else was with Rachel comforting her and trying to convince her that Puck just needed time to calm down. They all knew it was bullshit (even Rachel). She had screwed up and it would take more than being calm to make what she had done any less wrong. A few of them would rather be with Puck but Quinn had said she had that situation under control. Santana made it no secret that she thought Rachel was a fucking idiot, and made damn sure that everyone knew she was sick of them fucking up their relationships and breaking the heart of those closest to her (themselves included). Britney declared that arriving early was cursed and they should avoid it at all cost to which Kurt replied that if they would all just stop doing bad things it wouldn't matter who showed up when.

Sean, Alex and Dylan watched from the side lines as the family they loved and longed to be (officially) a part of was slowly being disassembled. They were each so tightly woven together that a single loose thread would tear the whole thing apart. The parents watch as their children hurt each other time and time again only to be the same ones to heal one another. Though they knew that the love they shared could only be described as legendary, many of them wondered how many times they could destroy each other before the damage was too extensive to heal.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own glee =(

Third Year

**First Semester**

Quinn had stayed in Lima up until the first day of school. Puck had tried to get her to go home saying that he didn't need her to babysit him when he lived in a house full of people. She knew he was right but she argued with him that those people weren't her and she wasn't leaving until she had to. He knew her well enough to know it wasn't the only reason for her staying but wouldn't call her out on it. Quinn had made on honest effort to leave in mid-august like usual but the thought of sitting in the car with Rachel for nine hours made her stomach turn. She had gone home after a week of staying with Noah to see for herself how Rachel was doing. She walked upstairs to her room and didn't really think much about the fact that the door was closed at three in the afternoon and walked in without knocking like she always did. They never knocked, they were a family of no secrets and knocking only served to warn someone that you were coming in, completely pointless when you're a Berry. For the first time since becoming a berry, she really wished she'd knocked.

It was simple logic really. If your boyfriend is pissed at you, you do not turn to the reason he's pissed for comfort. Rachel sat on the middle of her bed crying while Finn sat with his legs around her rubbing her arms and whispering in her ear. She had almost turned around to walk out when she remembered that this was her house too, Noah was her best friend and Rachel was her sister. Instead she had yelled about respect and decency, she had told Finn that he was just trying to ruin Puck's life and that the way he loved Rachel was nothing compared to the way Puck did. She ending up in tears by the time she had reached the bed and took Rachel's hand into her own. Finn tried to speak but she stopped him with one pointed stare.

"_I don't know what you think you're doing, and I don't understand why you're doing it. I love you, and I know you Rachel Berry. This is not the road you want to go down._ _Please call Noah, talk to him, fix this. I'm begging you._" Rachel stared at her for a long time. Even wiped the tears from her eyes and in that moment she had hope. It was all for not. _"I did call him Q. I did try. He wants nothing to do with me, because I had one friend I didn't tell him about. He left me because I was someone's friend."_ Quinn had never hated someone so much as she did Finn in that moment. Those were not Rachel's words and she wondered how many times Finn had said them until Rachel was brainwashed. Rachel had always thought for herself, even when it caused her to be an outcast. Call her selfish, call her a bad sister, but she wouldn't stand beside her if this was what she was going to do. "_Then I hope your happy now Ray, because you'll lose more than just Noah while he's around. Forgive me for this one day". _Rachel hadn't known what she meant until later. She had thought losing Noah had been hard, it was nothing compared to having her sister turn her back on her.

Mercedes had spent weeks trying to get Quinn to talk to Rachel but there was no changing her mind. It made sense and she didn't think Quinn was wrong but she knew how much the separation was killing them and it hurt her to see them in pain. Noah had changed. From what Santana said he was like the walking dead. The only person he said more than three words to was Quinn and even HE had tried to convince her to talk to Rachel. Things were crashing and burning all around her and if she'd known it was going to be like this, she never would have left Lima. She cursed the distance and what it had done to her family. A wave of calm came over her and she wrapped her arms around his as Dylan held her. "Everything is going to be fine" and he meant it, she could tell but she wasn't so sure. "I don't know how much more of this we can take before it breaks us." _If it hasn't already,_ she kept the last part to herself though.

Michal and Daniel were at the end of their ropes. They loved Noah like a son and had spent much of their time with Hannah and Sarah Puckerman because of his relationship with their daughter (daughters really). They had been the ones to hold Hannah as she cried after seeing Noah, her eyes haunted by her son's blank stare and hallow words They had cried together in the car the night Sarah had pulled them aside after temple and had asked them why Noah was lying to her. They had no way to explain to the child why her brother had said they were no longer family and that she shouldn't be so attached to the Berrys. All they could do was assure her that he was wrong and that they loved her. What broke their hearts the most was that they had two strong beautiful daughters who hadn't spoken to each other in months.

When Quinn had approached them about moving out they had strictly forbid it. They felt that sooner or later they would be forced to speak while living under the same roof. They were wrong. Quinn spent most of her time with Sean, going to the apartment only when she knew Rachel wouldn't be home. And thought they hated it, Rachel had taken refuge in Finn's dorm room and refused to admit that she saw anything wrong with it. They didn't know if Rachel was purposely trying to push people away but she was too old for them to have much say over where she spent her time. When Quinn had asked how they felt about her moving in with Sean they had focussed on how much they cared for the young man and promised to help with the move. No one told Rachel about the move.

Kurt wasn't one for silent treatments but he understood where Quinn was going from and if Finn weren't such a tool he would do right by Rachel and force her to fix things with her sister. Better yet if Finn weren't such a selfish ass he would have made sure that Puck knew about their friendship. But alas this was not the case. When Mercedes had asked him to start designing for Ah'Mai'Zing he couldn't think of a single reason to say no. He loved it, and it gave him hope that the family would come out on top. When they had decided to open up a store in downtown L.A he hadn't thought of a single reason not to make an event out of it. Mike held an event there opening night, Alex Djed, Quinn sang, Santana and Britney danced, the guys modeled clothes, it was truly a family affair. It was around eleven when Rachel showed up. No one had known if she was going to come. A few of them had wished she hadn't. Finn held her hand the entire night and they didn't know it was for support or a way of making sure Noah went nowhere near her. Either way, it worked.

**New Year's Eve. **

They hadn't done all been together for New Years since senior year, and with everything going on Tina thought it was a perfect opportunity to come together. She understood that her own problems had caused some of the cracks in their armour but if she and Artie could be friends, and Britney and Matt could be civil to one another, it wasn't much to ask that Noah and Rachel simply be able to be in the same place at the same time. They had all heard about the ball drop in Times Square but none had ever gone, so that's where they ended up to ring in the year they all hoped would heal them. She thought back to senior year, they were all in Santana's back yard with champagne and sparklers laughing and dancing without a care in the world. By the time midnight arrived they were all too drunk to notice. By chance Puck checked his watch and realised it was one-thirty in the morning. They just smiled and continued to party, having moved the fun into the hot tub. Matt had said that he hope every new year went by the same way; with them too busy having fun to notice. Tina found herself wishing for the same thing as the clock neared midnight.

Noah didn't want to be there. He would rather be anywhere actually, Antarctica would be better than seeing Rachel. She didn't look as bad as he felt and while a part of him was happy she was doing well, a bigger part of him wanted to demand she be miserable without him. He tried not to notice that she was wearing the Star of David necklace he had bought her. He couldn't help but notice that she had cut her hair, and he knew for a fact that that was how Finn liked it. She was wearing red and he didn't know if it was a conscious choice to wear his favourite colour or if she thought the collar helped hide the hickie on her neck (it didn't). She stared at her through the corner of his eye until Quinn moved to block her from his sight. He looked down at the blonde and smiled his thanks. He honestly didn't want to think about her it just happened. He took her hand and kissed the inside of her palm, he laced their fingers together and let their hands drop between them.

If he'd been able to see Rachel he would have noticed her eyes narrow in suspicion. A look that didn't go away even as Alex wrapped his arms around her, because even though Quinn was leaned against her boyfriend and her right arm around his, she never let go of Noah's hand.

They go to the park afterwards and sing and dance and it feels like nothing is wrong and they are as happy as they've ever been. Around three they start to get hungry and a few of them go off to the 24hr Chinese place down the street with the promise of bringing back food. A few of them stay, but when she sees Alex and Noah walk away she expects to see Quinn get up to follow. She's pleasantly surprised when she doesn't. It makes her sad to think that Quinn staying behind with her is the most probably the most civil they've been towards each other in five months. The others get up and start a game of tag (yeah they're five) and she's surprised again when Quinn not only stays but moves closer to her. She's still looking straight ahead and they aren't talking but Rachel feels like this is a step in the right direction. And then her phone rings, and 'Taking Chances' comes on. She knows that Quinn knows it's Finn and a part of her doesn't want to answer it because of that simple fact. However its New Years and he's her boyfriend (yeah sucky I know) so she reaches for her purse.

"Don't. Please…" It's the first time that she's spoken to her in a long long time and her voice is hoarse because she is really close to tears. She may not have spoken to her all night but she was here next to her, and they weren't arguing or scream and that was a big step for them. She could feel Rachel's indecision, and she tried to send her a mental memo that this was about more than a simple phone call. "It'll only take a sec Quinn, I haven't talked to him all night, its New Year's" and that was that she guessed. She smiled, and it wasn't even forced, and nodded her head as Rachel took her phone out. She got up as she flipped it open and began to walk away before she even opened her mouth to say hello. "Bye Rachel". She texted her fathers and informed them that she wanted to be moved out by the end of the week. It was one thing to choose Finn Hudson over Noah, but you relationship with your sister should be second to no one.

**Second Semester**

Rachel had decided that she needed time alone to think about everything that had happened. So she went to back to California with Tina and stayed with her for the two weeks she had off of school. She could tell that they all had things they wanted to say to her but none of them ever brought up anything that was related to Noah or Quinn. It was hard to deal with the fact that they were upset with her but it was just something they were going to have to get through and it would take time. She had tried calling her dads but no one was answering the house phone and they weren't the cell phone type of people. She spent her time in the boutiques, and at the beach reflecting on the decisions she'd made in the last few months.

She listened to Tina talk about how she and Artie were working on their friendship and it was getting to the point that she almost didn't remember she was still in love with him (almost). Tina went into detail about all the failed dates and about the one boyfriend she'd had since and why it hadn't worked out. She said that a part of her was jealous that Rachel had bounced back so quickly and was glad she was happy with Finn. She had no idea why that made her so upset, Tina wasn't judging her but she felt as though Tina was saying that clearly Rachel hadn't loved Noah as much as she had loved Artie. A part of her wanted to argue and say she hadn't really moved on that fast but she had. She and Noah had been together for four and a half years and less than six months out of the relationship she was already with Finn. She added that to the list of things she needed to think about.

Mike took her to a few of his rehearsals and told her that if she ever needed a backup plan he would hire her on the spot. She liked the clarity that dancing brought her and even helped him with a few of the pieces he was trying to fine tune. She tried not to notice the ring on his finger that Santana had given him so that people would know that he was engaged (it's stupid that I'm the only one wearing a ring when **we're** engaged). She didn't think about the promise ring that sat in the bottom drawer of her dresser inscribed with her anniversary and Noah's name. She didn't think of junior year when she and Noah had gotten back together and he had promised to marry her that way she would never leave him. She added the fact that she didn't think about these things to the list of things she needed to think about.

She goes home with a lighter heart and a longer list. Things are hectic at school and she's doing at least four auditions a week plus the fact that she doesn't have the courage to go home and possibly run into Quinn so she hides out in Finn's apartment. He offers to take her shopping when she realizes that she's running out of clothes but she decides it's time to be a big girl and go home. She gets there around six and isn't surprised (or relieved) to find that Quinn isn't home. She does some homework and decides to go to be earlier.

Somehow she wakes up late the next day and is in such a rush to get out that she doesn't notice that Quinn didn't come home the night before. She gets back from an audition and brings her laptop to the laundry room and catches up on her skype sessions. Her daddy asks her if she's alright and he sounds really worried, she's got no idea why. It takes her two nights to notice the dust on the furniture. Four nights to notice that Quinn doesn't have any shoes by the doorway and there are no toaster's strudel in the freezer. On the sixth night she walks into Quinn's room and her heart stops. She gets her sleeping bag and spends the weekend in the middle of the floor where her sister's bed should be. She adds this to the top of the list of things she needs to think about and cries herself to sleep every night she does.


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Though I pray at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own Glee =(

**Summer**

They had both tried to get out of coming home but their dads had made it clear that it was a non-option. The Berry daughters would spend the summer at home with their family like they was had, end of story. The first two of weeks weren't so bad, Rachel tried not to think about the fact that it was mostly because Quinn spent all of her free time at the house and she at Finn`s. No one had said it out loud but she had received the less than subtle hints that she was no longer welcome at the house. A few of them were over what had happened and even spent time with her and Finn as a couple. The others seemed to barely be able to stand the sight of her. The others being the ones that lived with Noah and had seen truly how devastated and broken he had become in the wake of her betrayal.

The next two of weeks were spent fighting with Finn. He didn't like the fact that he wasn't welcome in her fathers home when her dads had no problem with Sean. She couldn't find a tactful way of breaking the truth to him, her dads had no problem with him being her boyfriend other than the fact that he wasn't Puck. She pretended not to notice her heart drop when he said that they would have to get over that because he would never be Puck. She knew that, and she didn't want him to be Puck, but what other reason did she have for the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She showed up at the house the very next day (after making sure that Noah wasn't home), she stayed until he was on his way and was gone before he got there. She did this everyday for a week. Every time Finn called she would act as if she hadn't heard it, she ignores the looks they`re giving her until one day Quinn picks up the phone and hands it to her (they`re still not speaking),"He knows where I am, I'll call him later", and she pretends that she doesn't see the smile on her sister's face or notice that she speaks to her for the first time in a year. Sure all she said was "Chinese or Thai?" but it was progress and Rachel would take anything she could get.

By July things in the house had become less awkward. She blames that sense of comfort when she hears Noah's voice as she bakes cookies with Santana. They'd been having so much fun that she hadn't realized that it was time to leave. He spent what felt like hours staring at her from the doorway. She unconsciously felt at her hair, a part of her knew it had bothered him short and hopes he notices she's letting it grow out. She smiles hoping it will help. "Welcome back" is all he says before disappear into his room. She doesn't see him again before she leaves but it's enough to put a bounce in her step.

Finn surprises her one day with breakfast in bed. They spend the afternoon together and he buys her flowers and gives her a bound book of sheet music from her favourite plays. That night at dinner he gave her a promise ring and said that he would never walk away from her (she ignored the dig) and placed the ring around a chain and wore it around her neck. It was sweet and kind and she loved that he would surprise her like this. It isn't until the next day that she realized he had really been distracting her. She had completely forgotten it was Noah's birthday. She showed up at the house next to tears that afternoon refusing to go inside. She had waited for him at the top of the driveway and threw herself into his arms the second he stepped out of the car. She doesn't know how many times she apologized and begged for forgiveness or how she ended up curled into him on the couch with his shirt soaked with her tears. He holds her through it all telling her that she didn't really miss much (total lies birthdays were always an event) and that she had a busy life, sometimes things got forgotten. She swore she had never meant to forget and promised never to forget again. It wasn't until she had calmed down enough to look up that she realized how much she had hurt him, was hurting him. In all the movement her necklace had fallen out of her shirt and he had been staring at the ring with Finn's name engraved in it while he held and her took care of her.

She left shortly after that and everyone noticed the missing impression underneath her shirt every day afterward. She knew there was nothing she could do about the past but she wouldn't continue to hurt Noah if she could help it. She took the necklace off before stepping into the house and dealt with the screaming match with Finn the night he had asked where it was and she had told him she must have forgotten it in the glove box.

It was a year to the day that Quinn had walked away from her. The August thunderstorm was raging stronger than ever and she almost hadn't heard the doorbell ring. She got up to open the door, Finn's mom was visiting friends and Finn stuck at work until the storm was over. She broke under the weight of her sister as she collapsed into her arms. She managed to get the door shut and them into the spare room with Quinn still clinging to her and crying. Her mind began to think the worst but if someone had been hurt she would have known by now. It was hours before Quinn had stopped hyperventilating and Rachel was able to ask questions. When Quinn said that her mom had died in a car accident it had taken her a while to understand, it was hard to remember a time where Quinn hadn't been a Berry. She didn't know what to say as her sister cursed and praised the woman how had given birth to her. Once she had fallen asleep Rachel had called her dads and Puck. They had all been looking for Quinn she'd been disappeared that since that morning. Rachel had no idea why Quinn had come to her first, over the last month they had been civil almost like friends but light years away from how close they had been. Puck had told her that Rachel had always been her sister and when she really needed someone Rachel would always been the one she went to. She focused on taking care of her sister and not getting caught up in the direction her heart was pulling her in.

Rachel spent the rest of the summer at in her own house. Quinn had refused to be more than a foot away from her for more than a few minutes and she hadn't wanted to stay at Finn's house (Rachel pretended not to be glad for the reason to leave). Russell Fabray and his daughter Lilly were taking care of the funeral arrangements (Quinn had stopped considering them her father and sister once they had disowned her) and she had only been invited because her mother's will had demanded she attend. There was a letter left for her as well as a trust fund and a percentage of the family business. She had given the stock back to the Fabrays and tried to give back the money to but Judy had made sure that wouldn't be possible.

Rachel and her dads had held her as she read the letter from the woman who had given birth to her. She explained to Quinn that she had never wanted things to happen the way they had and wished that she could have been stronger and stood up to her husband when her daughter had needed her to. She told Quinn she was proud of her and that she had been keep taps on her through Michal and Daniel. She had even stood in the back row of one of her plays. She said that she had never been so in love with her than she was in that moment, and ask that Quinn allow her to take some credit in the woman she had become. She told her that she had cried when she learned Quinn had changed her name but knew that being a Berry was something to be proud of. She told Quinn all the things a mother should and asked for forgiveness for her weakness. She hadn't spoken since she'd received the news but she felt that it was time to break her vow of silence.

She grabbed Rachel's hand and her keys and left for the cemetery. She poured her heart out to the tombstone in front of her and asked if Rachel thought her mother could hear her. Rachel said there was no way Judy wasn't listening. They spent two hours there and Rachel wasn't surprised when Sean and Puck showed up as the sun began to set. The four of them sat there, each of them touch Quinn in some way. By the nightfall everyone had shown up and just sat in silence lending Quinn their strength. She couldn't help but think back to when they had done the same thing for her in sophomore year. The day they had started to become a family. She grabbed Rachel's hand a little after midnight and stood up. "I'm ready to go now"

They left and walked the short distance back to the Berry house. No one said anything as they went to the linen closet and pulled out the extra blankets and pillows Michal left in case of spontaneous sleepovers. None of them slept, just sat listening to their heartbeats as they synchronized and began to beat as one. They focused on the sound and the feeling of being whole again. Mercedes turned to Dylan and kissed him with everything she had, glad that he had been right. It would be a long road but everything was going to be fine.


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own Glee =(

Fourth Year

**First Semester**

Santana had always wanted an autumn wedding, there was something about the changing leaves that captivated her. It was an outdoor ceremony in the park underneath the cover of trees. She wore an ivory dress with a hint of auburn in the sheer lining. Her hair was curled into loose ringlets that flowed with her and danced in the light breeze. The dress had been a gift from Kurt and Mercedes, Rachel and Quinn had done her hair and makeup and Tina was acting as photographer. It had taken about three weeks of planning with the girls to realize that she didn't want the convention wedding. All she wanted was to be surrounded by her family, friends and leaves as they blew in the air. She smiled at her father as he kissed her temple ready to begin their walk down the aisle. She started to tear up as she saw everyone she loved gathered around her. They had been through a lot lately, more than most people go through in a lifetime without losing the bond they shared. Sure it was still strained but it was on the mend.

Mike gave her hope that everything would be okay. Better than okay, he made her feel like they could survive anything life had in store for them. She watched as Alana threw her assortment of flowers over the leaf walkway. Lilac rose petals for early love, yellow for friendship, white for humility, clovers for good luck, lavender for devotion and rosemary for remembrance. Leaves had been gathered and arrange to look like an aisle and her smile widened with each step she took at the crunching sound beneath made sure to step on as many petals as she could.

Santana focused on her breathing as Mike recited his vows and wondered how he managed to bury himself deeper into her soul with each passing day. She missed her cue and everyone laughed as Mike wiped the tears from her eyes and whispered that it was her turn.

"_I love you. And I wish there were words that could adequately express just how much, but there aren't. So I want you to know that what I am saying needs to be magnified a hundred times over to even compare to how I feel. You are in my heart, and every time it beats I love you more. You are in my soul helping to guide me, everything I do I do for us. I am selfish, I forget at times that we aren't the only two people in the world but I make no apologies. I thank god everyday for you, for your love and your patience because you are the reason we're standing here and I won't deny that. I will forever cherish our beginning and how we kindled a spark of love into this constant flame (lilac). I promise that you will be more than my husband and lover, you will be my confidant, I will place my trust in you (yellow roses). I humble myself before god and ask that he continues to bless this union for as long as I am grateful (white roses). I know we don't need it but may the fates bless us with luck to continue from this day and never lose this bond (cloves). I am yours, I will forever be yours. You have ruined me for all other men and I am thankful because I cannot see past my devotion to you (lavender). You are my gift, my conscience and my protector. You are everything I had ever wanted and everything I thought I would never deserve. I will remember always what we share and put nothing above it, you are the best part of me and I will never lose sight of that (rosemary)."_

She turned to Alana and grabbed a handful of flowers and dropped them over his head_. _By the time she was done everyone was crying, no seriously everyone. The priest took a minute to collect himself. It had been a long time since he had seen love in its purest form. They didn't need it but he sent another silent prayer that should a storm ever pass their way God would give them shelter. He looked out onto their family and knew that this was everything God had ever asked a family to be. He looked up as the sun began to brighten and saw that the rays hit couple directly. His prayers would be answered he knew as he pronounced them husband and wife.

The girls couldn't help but to think about the loves of their own lives and hope that one day it would be them standing up there while everyone else looked on. They could all see the way that Mike was look at his wife (omg!) and they wanted that. Everyone else could see that they already had it, it was clear that each and every one of them had someone who adored them and had committed their hearts to them long before this day.

Santana's dad twirled her around during their dance and hugged Mike when he came to cut in. He held both of their hands and told them how happy they had made him that day. Her mom had needed to drag him off the stage as his tears began to spill. Mike held his wife (his _wife!_) and promised her dad he would never give him a reason to worry about his daughter's happiness. Rachel sat with Finn (who'd actually been invited) and watch as everyone in her family celebrated the union. A part of her was saddened because she knew that he fathers would never embrace Finn that way and it made her feel empty. She had willed herself not to look at Noah during the ceremony (which had been hard they were standing across from each other) and when she had looked up her heart nearly leapt from her chest. There was a look in his eyes that took her breath away.

Quinn sought out Rachel towards the end of the night and pulled her onto the dance floor. The older guests had left and taken the children with them and Finn had gotten sick of feeling like an intruder. So it was just them, a dj and a reason to party. Through some curse of fate she ended up dancing with Noah to Distance and Time. She pretended not to notice the air of farewell and the way his arms tightened around her at the chorus. Noah pretended not to feel the diamond on her finger pressed against his palm as her hand rested above his heart. He felt her shutter and slow her breathing as she struggled not to cry. She looked up at him as the song was ending and he felt the final piece of himself shatter. He had chained his heart to her and it would follow her all the days it beat. She wiped his tears away and ran a hand over his newly shaven head. She stood there and swayed as the song changed. She looked at him using her eyes to make sure that he knew her heart was just as devoted to him as his was to her. If things had been different they would have made it. But this was their reality. When the song ended so would their hope. He loosened his hold on her "friends?" it was the only thing he could think of. "Even if it kills me" and with that she walks away and pretends that she had meant it as a joke and being friends was exactly what she wants.

She'd stayed at her parents' house that night after sending a text to Finn. She and Noah had never actually said the words 'it's over'. They had just fought, given up, returned things (through Quinn) and avoided each other. A part of her thought it would have been better to have a clear cut ending, she was wrong. Quinn held her that night and sang her favourite songs, as Rachel cried she rubbed her back and whispered comforting words. When she became catatonic Quinn called the Kurt and the girls, having to force Santana to go on her honeymoon (take care of her Q). They spent two days making sure that Rachel ate and spoke and didn't just drop dead. No one told Noah about that weekend, or the one a few weeks later when she'd shown up at Sean's apartment without a ring and two tubs of ice cream.

**Hanukah**

The holidays were a big deal and it took weeks of preparation to get everything in order so that they could stay in Lima. Mercedes, Kurt and Tina had to let everyone know they wouldn't be around for a few weeks and leave designs, art and instructions for what should be done while they were gone. Mike had to make sure that none of his shows ran past the middle of December and none started before the middle of January. He picked which choreographers would be left in charge of the studio and a warning of the repercussions should he come back and find the place in ruins. Dylan had to pass off his case files to someone else and Alex had to make sure someone took over his nights at the club.

Quinn had to make sure that her dance company didn't make her lead for any of the shows running while she would be away and had it written into her contract which weeks she would be unavailable every year until the end of her term. They would have given her anything she wanted, she was that good. Rachel was working on an off-Broadway play and just needed to make sure they knew what days to put the understudy's name on the sign instead of hers. Sean had to let his band know he wouldn't be around to record or practice. Everyone at the house stocked up on food, got the rooms ready and got permits for the extra cars all in preparation of the family reunion.

Rachel's parents had never sold the apartment in hopes that their daughters would reconcile and need it one day. It wasn't until Rachel had called off her engagement to Finn and ended the relationship that she was grateful they hadn't sold it. Quinn was officially living with Sean but she had bought a bed set for her room in the apartment and left a few clothes there so she could drop by whenever she wanted. She knew that Rachel missed her but at the same time was glad to have a space of her own and she was glad because she enjoyed living with Sean even if the circumstances for her moving out hadn't been ideal. It was couple of days before they were supposed to drive down to Lima and Rachel was getting ready to go out with a few friends when she heard Sweet Caroline coming from her bedroom.

Noah would skype her if he wanted to talk never once had he called her since agreeing to be friends. She wondered if he had finally heard that her relationship with Finn was over. She put down the curling iron and walked tentatively towards her bedroom. Before she could even say hello the sound of Noah's voice sent her world spinning.

"Rachel… baby I need you." He had clearly been crying, there was a tone of desperation in his voice that she had never heard and he sounded scared, more scared than she could ever remember him being. She doesn't even know what's wrong and she's already crying. "Rachel?" she had grabbed her keys, put on the first pair of shoes she could find and had gotten into her car without realizing she hadn't answered him "I'm coming Noah, I'm coming." The line goes dead she hopes its cause he hung up knowing she's on her way and not some other tragic reason. She didn't bother knocking, just used her key and walked right into the apartment her sister shared with Sean. She walked right into the kitchen and found them standing over the stove laughing. She didn't have time to think about how happy they looked, she didn't care. Something was wrong they needed to leave.

"Quinn" she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her name. She nearly fainted at the sight before her. Rachel had obviously been in the middle of getting ready because only half of her hair was curled, she was wearing her favourite pair of denim skinny jeans and a silk camisole that had seen better days with bright orange flip flops. Quinn would have laughed if her sister didn't look pale as a ghost with tears streaming down her face. "We need to leave now". She didn't bother asking why just turned off the stove, grabbed her keys and got into the passenger's seat while Sean locked the door and got into the back.

She had never felt so numb. She wasn't feeling at all just moving on autopilot. She had no clue what the speed limit was or how far they had gotten or how long it had been since they left. The only thing she knew was she needed to be moving faster than this, faster than fast. She didn't know what was going on or what had happened. She heard his voice over and over in her head and demanded that tears stay at bay just until she got to him. She had to keep it together until she got to him. She didn't hear the phone ring or Quinn answer it. She did hear the words Sarah, accident and bad. She tuned out after that, she needed to keep moving and breaking down would not accomplish that.

How they got to Lima in four hours is a mystery and a blessing. Quinn had jumped out of the car before it had stopped completely and ran through the doors with her fingers laced tightly with Rachel's. Sean had asked the nurse at the desk what room Sarah Puckerman was in and they had tried to keep it together when they were informed that she was still in surgery. They found everyone standing outside the door of the operating room trying to pry Noah way from the small window that allow him to watch as they cut into his sister and tried to save her life. Quinn searched for his mother and found her wrapped in her daddy's arms, she finally lost it and fell to her knees at their feet and cried with Hannah as they held each other and prayed. Rachel had felt as though her legs had been filled with lead as she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his middle. He looked away then and stared at the tiny arms holding him together. She moved them to a corner and followed him to the ground and gathered him into her arms. Sarah meant the world to Noah, she was only fifteen, and this wasn't fair. She felt his tears as she held him and she prayed harder than she ever had for the three hours Sarah remained in surgery. And every hour afterwards until they were told that she would pull through.

**Second Semester **

She hadn't meant for this to happen, she'd taken every precaution but it seemed that god had other plans for her. There was too much to think about, too much to remember and she needed to escape. She made some calls, picked Rachel up from the theatre and headed to the airport. They didn't ask questions and she thanks god for what must have been the millionth time for blessing her with this family. By two Kurt decides for her that it's time to be a big girl and tells her to man up (contradiction much?) and spill the beans. She tries to feign ignorance and continues shopping. When Tina jokes that that she'd gotten pregnant and run off to Vegas and gotten married she drops her iced tea. There's squealing and they start asking her a bunch of questions all at once. They spend the day at Baby's R Us, and maternity stores. Mercedes says that there is no way she'd going to let her niece or nephew wear those god awful onsies and Kurt says that just because she's expecting doesn't mean she needed to dress like a beach whale. The mommy and me line from Ah'Mai'Zing started that day (it was a hit). She tells Sean that night. He cries and gives her the ring he's been hiding for months. She lies next to her fiancé (yay!) and plays with the ring on her finger. She falls asleep promising that it would be a cold day in hell before she takes it off.

Quinn had sworn everyone to secrecy about the engagement/pregnancy, she didn't want the phone tree getting ahead of her and ruining it for her dads (the minute one parent knew they all knew). Rachel slips way as her fathers embraced their daughter and tell her how proud of her they are and how very thankful they are for the gift she is giving them and that they are so grateful that she's found someone worthy of her. It's a lot for them to take in and she wants them to have this moment, she's already had her time with Quinn to celebrate the news. She gets in her car and just drives. She doesn't have anywhere to be and whoever isn't busy is on campus. A part of her misses school but at the same time she knows that leaving was the right thing to do, she was ready to work. Her phone goes off and the ringtone tells her it's someone she doesn't know. She picks it up listening, she answers accordingly and hangs up when its time too.

She always wondered what she would do in this moment and it doesn't surprise her in the least when she seeks out Noah. Their relationship is cautious, after Sarah's accident it was hard to act like he didn't need her so they had actually become friends (like real ones), rebuilding what had been lost until they were able to trust each other again. They never discussed getting back together but Rachel was hoping that's where they were headed. She parked her car, got out and sat on the hood of his car and waited. She revelled in the moment and didn't mind waiting the hour it took for his class to end. He walked out and she was captivated by the brilliance of his smile. "I got the part", she knows she most look like an intoxicated lunatic the way she's jumping up and down in front of him shouting it over and over again putting emphasis on the '**the'** part. She got the part she'd been working towards her entire live (say hello to Broadway). He grabbed her shoulders to get her to stop and looked into her eyes making sure what he thought she was saying was really what she meant. She smiled and nodded wrapping her arms around him as he spun her around laughing. "You did it Rach." He kisses her then and though it's been years somehow it still feels like coming home.

The girls were at the house planning Quinn's summer wedding when Artie walked through the doors with a girl hanging on his arm. He hadn't known that Tina would be there so she tried not to hold it against him as her heart began to ache. They had managed to work through their issues and though they had yet to spend any time alone together they were honestly friends. They had talked it out, all of it and in the end she had hugged him and walked away. He thought for sure that meant she was done with him and had just needed the closure. He promised himself that day he would move on for her sake and do his best to hide the fact that he was still in love with had given up hope a long time ago about getting back together but the look on her face made him feel like maybe he had been wrong.

He made up some bullshit about helping with wedding plans and got the girl (cris, candy, cindy something) out as quickly as he could. When they were washing up for dinner he trapped her between his body and the sink. Tina had no idea what was going on, all she knew was that Artie was too close to her and she was more upset than she had any right to be about the girl he had brought home. She looked to the others for help but they avoided her eyes and walked out of the kitchen. She finished washing her hands and acting as though she couldn't feel his eyes on her, took a deep breath and turned around in his arms.

"Yes, Arthur?"

"She didn't mean anything, I can't even remember her name"

"Lindsay (she thought they were talking about the past), why are we talking about this?"

"No not her, the other one, the one that just left. I didn't know you were here or else I wouldn't have brought her. You don't have to get upset she doesn't mean anything"

"Why would I be upset? This is your house, you are free to bring back whomever you please. Now if you'd excuse me the food is getting cold"

He didn't move, took a deep breath and prepared to be slapped as he lowered his lips to hers. He waited for the slap to come but it didn't. He pecked her lips until she pulled him closer to her and took the plunge. They could hear clapping behind them but they were too busy to stop and acknowledge them. Finally they had to come up for air, "two done, one to go". Tina buried her face into his shoulder and made a mental note to murder Kurt later. There was a lot to talk about, the relationship would still be long distance and if he screwed up again she didn't know if she'd survive it. But that was a conversation for another night. They sat down to dinner and talked, laughed and acted like children really (food was thrown lol). Britney watched them and couldn't help but feel hopeful for her own happy ending. She and matt had been working at a relationship for a while but he was holding back and she understood why, he was scared she was going to get scared and pull away again. She only knew one way to prove to him it wasn't going to happen and she needed a little help. Good thing she had family for days.

_**Author's note: Three more chapters to go **_


	10. Chapter Ten

Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night I still don't own Glee =(

**Graduation**

They were running on high and had no intentions of coming down any time soon. Tina looked around her and thought back five years when they were sitting in this every place after their first graduation together. The cars in the parking lot weren't the same, and there were a few new members but the feeling she had felt then was still present. She had heard somewhere that life was not a single book but many volumes in a series. Volume one was almost done and they had gathered to write the final chapter. This family had gone through so much and while she didn't know if the worst was behind them she was confident that they could withstand the strongest storm. "How about east?"

Mercedes watched as her daughter (still amazed her to say that) slept in the backseat of her car. She had gotten bored with the topic of discussion, she didn't really care where they went as long as they got moving soon. What did it matter which direction they went in, they would be together having fun and exploring the world around them. She thought of Alana and it warmed her heart to know that these traditions had survived long enough to be passed down to their children. It was moments like this that gave her faith in the world. Bad things happened and she now had to worry about the effect these things had on her child. There was no escaping the outside world but she knew that this family created an environment that her daughter could be safe in as she grew and matured. She didn't care where they went, with them together everywhere was home. "Kay, I'm getting in the car, hurry up and decide"

Kurt was excited that to share this part of his life with Alex. Though he had spent a few months in the summer with them, he had never been on the road trips before. This family was everything to him heck ran a business with his best friends, his brothers and sisters. Holiday dinners were rotated and spent in different households each time and he had more surrogate mothers and second fathers than anyone needed and they each loved him unconditionally. He looked at Alex as he tried to urge everyone that going south made the most sense. He waved his hands in the air as he tried to convince them and Kurt's smile widened as his wedding ring shone in the summer sun. He had never conceived a day where he would find someone to spend his life with, and be able to legally marry them. Yet, here he was, a newlywed sharing his family traditions with his new husband. He joined the conversation as Alex took hold of his hand. "Have you nuthead's considered heads or tails?"

Noah had just watched his mother cry as he walked across the stage and received his diploma. He had watched with pride as members of his family walked across the stage while the rest cheered in the crowd. He hadn't even wanted to go to college until senior year and for the first two years he had no idea what he was doing in business management. Yet, like everything else in his life it had worked itself out. Now he was running the business side Ah'Mai'Zing with Matt which allowed Kurt, Mercedes and Tina focus on doing what they loved. It was weird to think of it as a family business but with 7 stores spread across the southern California area that's exactly what it was. He watched as Rachel spoke to Quinn's belly giving commentary on everything that was going on, explaining that though they were crazy they were the best family the little one could ask for. He sent a prayer to baby Sophia the daughter that had never taken a breath (she would have been around Alana's age now) and asked that she watch over her little sister or brother and this family. "Heads we go east, tails we go south."

Britney was amazed by how much things had changed since their first road trip. They were older, wiser and though there were scars they had never been stronger. She took a sip of her watermelon slushie and looked up at the sky as the sun began to set and the colours changed , proving just how long they had been arguing about this. She had accepted an internship at UC Berkley within their math department and was beyond excited to move to California with Matt as he helped run the boutiques. Their life was always changing and sometimes they lost their way, put there were so many of them with so much love to be shared that the road back was never walked alone. When she had proposed to Matt they weren't an official couple and a part of her knew that it wasn't the way it should be done but she needed to show him that she was committed and everyone had helped her get everything ready. When he had said yes she felt as though she had been washed clean of her past mistakes. They had three weeks to explore and she wanted to cover the as much land as possible with the people she cared for most. "Tails"

Santana was irritated. She blamed the heat and the fact that she had packed all her dresses and was stuck in a pair of tight jeans. She blamed the fact that the air smelled like pine and that she'd eaten at least ten tacos at lunch. She complained about all of this while Mike stood behind her rubbing her arms to calm her nerves. She was looked over at Quinn and while she looked beautiful Santana was not looking forward to getting that big. Getting pregnant had always been a part of the plan and she was excited that she would at have company for at least a few months. Santana had a job as a professional cheerleader with the Lakers and had worried that getting pregnant would jeopardize that but her coach had told her that they would hold her spot for the year she would be gone so she could relax and enjoy becoming a mom. It was hard travelling with the team and screw what people thought, cheerleading was not easy but at the end of the day she was doing something she loved and when she was home she was with people she loved. She pulled a quarter out of her pocket and tossed it into the air.

Quinn laughed as her sister talked to the baby. She was glad that her morning sickness had disappeared in time for the road trip, it would have sucked to have to pull over every thirty minutes to puke her guts up. Being pregnant wasn't the same as she remembered it being, but she figured that had a lot to do with the fact that there was no big secret hanging over her head. She had been overwhelmed by fear that she would miscarry again but she only had three months to go the doctor has assured her that the baby was as healthy as could be. Everyone was talking and she had no idea how but every time Sean said something the baby would kick. Every time Rachel spoke it would roll over and every time puck spoke it would lay still as if listening patiently to his every word. It had taken her a while but little by little she had noticed the little things the baby did in response to the family. Even her unborn child knew the meaning of love, east or south, this was all she needed. "South it is".


	11. Chapter Eleven

Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night, I still don't own Glee =(

**Summer**

Santana looked down at her bride's maid dress frowning, she felt like a balloon. She couldn't help but laughed and thank the big guy upstairs that at least she hadn't been pregnant at her own wedding. Quinn was a week past her due date and everyone had placed bets on when she would finally pop. Santana had five more hours before she was out of the running but at least she'd been closer than Matt and Sean. The beach air is calming and she prays it keeps her morning sickness at bay. She looks down the aisle as everyone stands. Pregnant or not Quinn is gorgeous. She can hear a few chuckles at the white dress because clearly she's anything but pure but it compliments her tanned skin and looks like it was made for her (which it was but still). Her fathers were crying and they haven't even given her away yet. She smiles thinking of her own father at her wedding. Finn is sitting in the back row (they didn't all cut him off), it was a courtesy invite and no one had really expected him to come but she just hoped he wouldn't cause any trouble. It had been a good summer, and they deserved it after the last few years.

Rachel tried to calm herself and ignore that she could feel Finn's eyes on her. She hadn't spoken to him since they had broken up and she didn't want Noah to think otherwise. She looked at Noah and was instantly rewarded with the calm she was looking for. His smile told her she had nothing to worry about, the ring on her finger proved that they were past the heartache and she knew that Noah was a man of his word. He had said nothing would ever come between them again, and that included Finn. She took the bouquet of flowers from Quinn as the ceremony began and tried to protect them from the downpour of tears as they recited their vows. Noah winked at her and she laughed at his silent message that his would be better. She was sure they would be because they would be from him to her. She wished that there was a way to capture this moment so she could relive it whenever she wanted. There were all together, loving each other, in love with each other, enjoying being a whole again. She thought back to the year she had spent on the outside and promised as the couple said 'I do' that she would never be in that position again.

Artie was the dj for the evening and smiled as Michal and Daniel spun their daughter between them for the father daughter dance. There had been a minor crisis with the caterers but other than that they day had been perfect. He watched as Tina danced with Alana and Mike swayed Santana with his arms protectively placed over her stomach. He had never thought about children before but how could he not now that his best friends were parents. Tina would make a beautiful mother, and there was a tug on his heart when he thought of a little girl who looked just like her and had his eyes. There weren't completely solid, years of being a part was hard to overcome but they were on their way. They (Tina) had decided that marriage wasn't in the cards for them, it was his own fault, he'd tainted it for her. But she agreed to a commitment ceremony and really it was the same thing (he just didn't tell her that). He had bought her a promise ring and was prepared to promise her the world. The sound of laughter brought his eyes to the woman he loved and the picture in his mind changed. He definitely wanted a daughter whose eyes sparkled just like that.

They had been amazed by how quiet she was as she made her entrance into the world (Puck won the bet btw). She had wailed for about thirty seconds before she became silent and stared with wide eyes at all the things around her. It didn't change as the weeks went by; she was just a quiet baby. Call her silly but Quinn was positive that Sophia was talking to the baby, telling her all that she needed to know. Somewhere inside of her heart she could hear the soft voice of a little girl who had Pucks tanned skin and her blonde curls. "_You are save here," she told her baby sister, "that's mommy and that's your daddy. This is your family, they will love you forever and always. And I'm your big sister and I'm here to protect you. Now be a good girl for mommy because she loves you more than anything." _She smiled her mommy smile (as Alana would say) as she thought about her children. Sophia may not have taken a breath but she had lived, and continued to live through her mother's love. She heard Rachel tell the baby about how much they loved her, about how much they had been waiting to meet her and she could hear the tears in her voice and knew that her sister was thinking about Sophia as well. Everyone was gathered about Sean as he feed the baby. Puck took her hand and rested on the arm of her chair, she could feel his tears fall on to the top of her head. "I miss her", she'd never said it out loud but this was Puck, he knew her better than anyone (even Sean and Rachel). "There's nothing to miss babe," he kissed her forehead and placed their hands over her heart, "she's right here". Losing a child had done two things to Quinn, it had created a family and it had taught her the true meaning of pain. She took the newest addition of her family into her arms and vowed that she would never know that kind of pain. Dani Michelle Stewart looked into her mother's eyes and smiled.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: Though I wish at 11:11 every day and night I still don't own Glee =(

_Authors note: These jump through years._

**Divorce is an ugly word**

Though she could hardy remember the woman who had carried her and loved her more than life itself she loved her. Every time she was upset and felt alone she would go to the garden where so many were laid to rest and lay against her mother's tombstone. She would tell her everything that weighed down on her heart and imagine all the things she would say to ease her pain. She had a mom, one that loved her and raised her and made her dad happy but she had a mother that had done the same thing once before. She was back in the garden begging on her hands and knees. Her parents had been fighting more than usual and though they made sure to keep her from the worst of it she knew that things were getting worse. She had learned at a young age that divorce was a vile awful word that ruined lives and had run from the house as her parents tried to explain how it would work. She had prayed to God to fix this and was beginning to think that he just didn't have the time to hear the plight of a young girl. She implored her mother who she knew loved her still to make him listening. She didn't want to lose her family, she didn't want to be held by a tearful mother or hold a sobbing baby brother. This is where her parents found her; tearfully asking for help to heal their family. They held her that night like they had when she was younger and promised to try harder for her. Alana thanked her mother and never heard the vile word again in her happy home.

**The Saddest Days**

Her dad would always take the kids out and leave mom at home a few times a year, saying that it was his special time with his girls. It wasn't long before she noticed that there was one day a year they would always go, the others were random and ever changing. She filed it away in her curious mind to be examined later. Over time she began to realize that her Uncle Puck's car would be in the driveway as they were leaving but she wouldn't see him in the house. One day she had pretended to leave something behind and rushed into the house before her dad could offer to get it for her. She was quiet up the stairs and pressed her ear to her parent's bedroom door and felt her heart break. The only time she had heard her mom cry like that had been when her older sister had fallen out of their tree house. By the time she was eight she realized that everyone in her family seemed sad that day and by the time she was ten she mustered up the courage to ask why. She had cried in the arms of her nana Hannah when she found out about the daughter her momma had never met. When the day came round again she told her father she would be staying home. He had the good sense not to fight her while she wore her serious face, the one she'd gotten from her mom. She walked into her mother's room and was unprepared for the tears in her uncle's eyes; she had never seen him cry. "I prayed to her mommy to come to you so you wouldn't worry anymore. I think she's happy but your tears make her sad." Quinn opened her arms and held her daughter, "what makes you think that sweetie?" Judy looked up and stared straight into her eyes and with the sincerity that only a child could hold replied, "because she is my sister, and I am your daughter and I am happy and your tears make me sad." Even on the saddest days Quinn found that her heart could be filed with joy.

**To serve and protect**

He had more uncles than anyone else he knew. Most of his friends only saw their relatives on holidays, Most of his family lived in his neighbourhood, and the others had no problem catching a three hour flight just to drop by randomly. Everyone said that it was his job as the only boy to protect the kids, even his older cousin Dani was his responsibility. When the boys were born he was happy for the help, some of the girls were entering into their 'difficult' periods as his aunts put it. His sister texted him while he was in class one day and begged he call off his dogs. After talking to his dad he learned that his sister had a date that Saturday night but would have to double with his cousin and the girl he was seeing if she wanted to go. He got the details of the date, the guy and approved of the plan. He told his sister that the situation was out of his control and to enjoy her date. If growing up with in his family had taught him anything it was that you protect what's yours. As much as the girls complained, this over-protective behaviour had saved them from quite a few bad relationships and it was funny to watch them act like they were in the secret service guarding the first daughters. David may not be secret service but he had definitely taken an oath to protect and serve those he loved.

**Permission to love**

Gabriel had always known it would be hard to find someone to spend his life with. He had been spoiled by his family his entire life, loved more than most kids by more people than most too. He looked at his parents, his aunts and uncles, his grandparents, generations of family that knew when it came to love it was go big or go home. It had taken awhile before he had found the right person to give his all. He loved him truly he did but he couldn't let himself commit to him completely because he knew that one word against him from his family and he would be kicking him to the curb. Bringing him to Christmas dinner was a big deal, a bigger deal than his boyfriend realized. Things were going well but his mom still wasn't home back from the grocery store and the interrogation had yet to begin. The guys were handing him drinks to calm his nerves and her father and uncles were keeping a watchful eye on the girls to make sure they didn't spook his boyfriend. He had felt the atmosphere shift as his mom walked through the door and the smirks on the girls faces didn't sit well in his stomach. His mother gave him a speech about youth and sowing his royal oats and he reminded her that he was twenty-five and his dad (her husband) had been in love with her since he was seventeen years old. The women and their daughters disappeared into the den and when they emerged he was sure his boyfriend had been seconds away from shitting himself. His father patted his back and Britney winked at her son. The stamp of approval had been given and he was ready to commit his life to a person his mother deemed worthy.

**Another Sunset**

Road trips were a part of her family. Her parents had been going on them longer than she'd been alive and they happened every year like clockwork. She hadn't been paying attention during the drive so she had no idea where they were but they had stopped at a lake and were watching the sun set on a warm August day. Her life had not been perfect, but she had always been loved and cared for. She hadn't really understood the depth of her family's love until she'd gotten married, and then pregnant. It was overwhelming how much she could love someone, and she had people who had loved her that much all of her life. She watched her siblings and cousins, come were swimming, some playing volleyball and the rest were sitting on the beach enjoying the day. She watched three generations come together and really felt how blessed she was.

She looked at her parents and hoped that one day it would be her sitting there with her husband after decades of marriage looking out onto the large family that she had created with her siblings and cousins. She wanted her children to know them and love them like she had known her grandparents and wished there was a way to capture this moment and play it over and over again. She wishes she could live her entire life surrounded by this feeling.

She doesn't know where the thought comes from but she's grateful that her Poppa Dan still knew when she needed his words of wisdom. She remembers years ago when she was just a stubborn child and had complained about not wanting to leave resort they were staying in, he had held her hands in his and told her to _"Look at it like going to sleep after a wonderful day, you'll always have tomorrow. And you can always dream about yesterday."_ The wind blows past her and she opens her eyes to the setting sun. Road trips were a part of her family, and come what may they would always have that.

**FIN**

**so... how was it?  
**


End file.
